A PHP Error was encountered

Severity: Warning

Message: fopen(/var/lib/php/sessions/ci_sessionv8hts7m1adspbak1u976ki4md06plauf): Failed to open stream: No space left on device

Filename: drivers/Session_files_driver.php

Line Number: 177

Backtrace:

File: /var/www/html/index.php
Line: 316
Function: require_once

A PHP Error was encountered

Severity: Warning

Message: session_start(): Failed to read session data: user (path: /var/lib/php/sessions)

Filename: Session/Session.php

Line Number: 137

Backtrace:

File: /var/www/html/index.php
Line: 316
Function: require_once

University of Crete Medical School[Affi... Publications | LitMetric

608 results match your criteria: "University of Crete Medical School[Affiliation]"

Pre-Emptive Embolization of the Aneurysm Sac or Aortic Side Branches in Endovascular Aneurysm Repair: Meta-Analysis and Trial Sequential Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Ann Vasc Surg

April 2023

Department of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK; Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, School of Medical Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK. Electronic address:

Background: To investigate outcomes of pre-emptive embolization of the aneurysm sac or aortic side branches in endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR).

Methods: The review was reported as per Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 with a preregistered protocol. Bibliographic sources (MEDLINE, Embase, and CENTRAL) were searched using subject headings and free text terms.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Impaired hepatic glucose metabolism and liver-α-cell axis in mice with liver-specific ablation of the Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4α (Hnf4a) gene.

Metabolism

February 2023

Laboratory of Biochemistry, University of Crete Medical School, Heraklion 71003, Greece; Gene Regulation and Epigenetics group, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology of Hellas, Heraklion 71003, Greece. Electronic address:

Background: Hnf4a gene ablation in mouse liver causes hepatic steatosis, perturbs HDL structure and function and affects many pathways and genes related to glucose metabolism. Our aim here was to investigate the role of liver HNF4A in glucose homeostasis.

Methods: Serum and tissue samples were obtained from Alb-Cre;Hnf4a (H4LivKO) mice and their littermate Hnf4a controls.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Chilblains, also known as perniosis, are painful skin lesions caused by exposure to cold but are still not fully understood, especially when they occur independently of other conditions.
  • A systematic review of 13 studies involving 477 patients identified that chilblains predominantly affect women and typically appear on hands and fingers, with significant histopathological features such as lymphocytic infiltrate and dermal edema observed in many cases.
  • Factors like smoking and frequent exposure to water were found to significantly increase the risk of developing these features, highlighting the need for better recognition and management of chilblains in medical practice.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Treat to target in Behcet's disease: Should we follow the paradigm of other systemic rheumatic diseases?

Clin Immunol

January 2023

Joint Rheumatology Program and First Department of Propaedeutic and Internal Medicine, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece. Electronic address:

During the last decades the efficacy of biologic agents, mainly of anti-TNFs, in controlling the activity of serious manifestations of Behcet's Disease (BD) has been established. On the other hand, the clinical heterogeneity of BD has precluded the validation of a widely-accepted composite index for disease assessment and for target disease-state definitions, such as low disease activity and remission, and the testing of their implementation in clinical practice. Therefore, in contrast to other systemic rheumatic diseases, a treat-to-target strategy has not yet been developed in BD.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

CIRSE Standards of Practice on Varicocele Embolisation.

Cardiovasc Intervent Radiol

January 2023

Department of Vascular and Interventional Radiology, Oxford University Hospitals, NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK.

Background: Percutaneous embolisation is an effective, minimally invasive means of treating a variety of benign and malignant lesions and has been successfully used to treat varicoceles since the late 1970s, with refined and expanded techniques and tools currently offering excellent outcomes for varicocele embolisation.

Purpose: This document will presume that the indication for treatment is clear and approved by the multidisciplinary team (MDT) and will define the standards required for the performance of each modality, as well as their advantages and limitations. CIRSE Standards of Practice documents are not intended to impose a standard of clinical patient care, but recommend a reasonable approach to, and best practices for, the performance of percutaneous varicocele embolisation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

ATR-mediated DNA damage responses underlie aberrant B cell activity in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Sci Adv

October 2022

Center for Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, 115 27 Athens, Greece.

B cells orchestrate autoimmune responses in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), but broad-based B cell-directed therapies show only modest efficacy while blunting humoral immune responses to vaccines and inducing immunosuppression. Development of more effective therapies targeting pathogenic clones is a currently unmet need. Here, we demonstrate enhanced activation of the ATR/Chk1 pathway of the DNA damage response (DDR) in B cells of patients with active SLE disease.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The objective of this review study is to evaluate the therapeutic role of PDE5 inhibitors (PDE5is) in the amelioration of oligoasthenospermia in infertile males. PDE5is have a beneficial influence on the secretory function of the Leydig and Sertoli cells, the biochemical environment within the seminiferous tubule, the contractility of the testicular tunica albuginea, and the prostatic secretory function. In several studies, the overall effect of sildenafil and vardenafil increased quantitative and qualitative sperm motility.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Combined - whole blood and skin fibroblasts- transcriptomic analysis in Psoriatic Arthritis reveals molecular signatures of activity, resistance and early response to treatment.

Front Immunol

September 2022

Laboratory of Autoimmunity and Inflammation, Center of Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece.

Background: An interplay between immune cells and resident skin and joint stromal cells is implicated in psoriatic arthritis (PsA), yet the mechanisms remain elusive with a paucity of molecular biomarkers for activity and response. Combined transcriptomic and immunophenotypic analysis of whole blood and skin fibroblasts could provide further insights.

Methods: Whole blood RNA-seq was performed longitudinally in 30 subjects with PsA at the beginning, one and six months after treatment, with response defined at six months.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

By integrating phylogenomic and comparative analyses of 1104 high-quality genome sequences, we identify the core proteins and the lineage-specific fingerprint proteins of the various evolutionary clusters (clades/groups/species) of the genus. As fingerprints, we denote those core proteins of a certain lineage that are present only in that particular lineage and absent in any other lineage. Thus, these lineage-specific fingerprints are expected to be involved in particular adaptations of that lineage.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Real-Life Outcome of Lupus Nephritis with Current Therapies: Study Protocol of a Multicentre Observational Study.

Mediterr J Rheumatol

June 2022

First Department of Propaedeutic Internal Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, "Laiko" General Hospital, Athens.

Article Synopsis
  • Lupus nephritis (LN) is a serious complication in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), leading to higher health risks and poor outcomes.
  • The latest recommendations emphasize improving kidney function and significantly lowering protein levels in urine over specific timeframes to achieve better management of LN.
  • New treatments, like belimumab and voclosporin, have been approved, prompting investigation into their effectiveness and integration into current treatment strategies for Greek patients with LN.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Dual-Energy Computed Tomography as an Adjunct in the Evaluation of Peripheral Chronic Total Occlusions: A Feasibility Study.

J Vasc Interv Radiol

December 2022

Interventional Radiology Unit, Department of Medical Imaging, University Hospital Heraklion, Heraklion, Greece; Department of Radiology, University of Crete Medical School, Heraklion, Greece. Electronic address:

This study investigated the role of dual-energy computed tomography (CT) for lesion characterization in patients with peripheral arterial disease manifesting with chronic total occlusions (CTOs). Forty-one symptomatic patients with CTOs underwent dual-energy CT angiography before endovascular treatment. The lesions were subsequently analyzed in a dedicated workstation, and 2 indexes-dual-energy index (DEI) and effective Z (Z)-were calculated, ranging from 0.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are myeloid precursors that exert potent immunosuppressive properties in cancer. Despite the extensive knowledge on mechanisms implicated in mobilization, recruitment, and function of MDSCs, their therapeutic targeting remains an unmet need in cancer immunotherapy, suggesting that unappreciated mechanisms of MDSC-mediated suppression exist. Herein, we demonstrate an important role of NLRP3 inflammasome in the functional properties of MDSCs in tumor-bearing hosts.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Real-world evidence on short-term outcomes of ranibizumab in wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD) following inadequate response to aflibercept is scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the functional and anatomic effects of switching to ranibizumab in cases of wAMD previously treated with aflibercept with inadequate response.

Patients And Methods: Prospective, observational study performed in eight ophthalmology hospital/private clinics in Greece, enrolling consented patients with active wAMD, ≥50 years-old, who had initiated ranibizumab ≥28 days and <2 months after their last aflibercept injection.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Species differences in brain and blood-brain barrier (BBB) biology hamper the translation of findings from animal models to humans, impeding the development of therapeutics for brain diseases. Here, we present a human organotypic microphysiological system (MPS) that includes endothelial-like cells, pericytes, glia, and cortical neurons and maintains BBB permeability at relevant levels. This human Brain-Chip engineered to recapitulate critical aspects of the complex interactions that mediate neuroinflammation and demonstrates significant improvements in clinical mimicry compared to previously reported similar MPS.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Recommendations for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Balancing Evidence and Eminence to Facilitate the Medical Care of a Complex Disease.

Rheum Dis Clin North Am

August 2022

Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University of Crete Medical School, Heraklion 71008, Greece; Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas (FORTH), Heraklion, Greece. Electronic address:

Since the first systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) guidelines published by the American College of Rheumatology in 1999, accumulating data from observational and randomized-controlled studies, including the advent of biological agents, have stimulated the production of recommendations by various committees and task forces. Still, several areas relating to the diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of SLE remain uncertain due to limited or inconclusive evidence, therefore emphasizing the role of expert consensus in reaching balanced and informative statements. This review outlines the most recent SLE recommendations highlighting key differences and important challenges that will also need to be considered in future updates.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: Evidence on the current status of gender equity in academic rheumatology in Europe and potential for its improvement is limited. The EULAR convened a task force to obtain empirical evidence on the potential unmet need for support of female rheumatologists, health professionals and non-clinical scientists in academic rheumatology.

Methods: This cross-sectional study comprised three web-based surveys conducted in 2020 among: (1) EULAR scientific member society leaders, (2) EULAR and Emerging EULAR Network (EMEUNET) members and (3) EULAR Council members.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Cross-species transcriptome analysis for early detection and specific therapeutic targeting of human lupus nephritis.

Ann Rheum Dis

October 2022

Laboratory of Autoimmunity and Inflammation, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece

Objectives: Patients with lupus nephritis (LN) are in urgent need for early diagnosis and therapeutic interventions targeting aberrant molecular pathways enriched in affected kidneys.

Methods: We used mRNA-sequencing in effector (spleen) and target (kidneys, brain) tissues from lupus and control mice at sequential time points, and in the blood from 367 individuals (261 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients and 106 healthy individuals). Comparative cross-tissue and cross-species analyses were performed.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Mental disorders such as anxiety and depression are prevalent in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, yet their association with the underlying disease activity remains uncertain and has been mostly evaluated at a cross-sectional level. To examine longitudinal trends in anxiety, depression, and lupus activity, a prospective observational study was performed on 40 adult SLE outpatients with active disease (SLE Disease Activity Index [SLEDAI]-2K ≥ 3 [excluding serology]) who received standard-of-care. Anxiety and depression were determined at baseline and 6 months by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I), the main protein component of High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL), is modified in plasma and the arterial wall by various enzymes. Myeloperoxidase (MPO), a leukocyte-derived peroxidase, is highly expressed during inflammation and associates with HDL reducing its functionality and contributing to atherosclerosis. In the present study we sought to explore further the effect of MPO on HDL structure and functionality in vivo using adenovirus-mediated gene transfer of human MPO combined with human apoA-I forms containing substitutions at MPO-sensitive sites or wild type apoA-I.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The oncogenic pathways activated by the NPM-ALK chimeric kinase of ALK+ anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) are well characterized; however, the potential interactions of ALK signaling with the microenvironment are not yet known. Here we report that ALK+ ALCL-derived exosomes contain critical components of ALK signaling as well as CD30, and that exosome uptake by lymphoid cells led to increased proliferation and expression of critical antiapoptotic proteins by the recipient cells. The bone marrow fibroblasts highly uptake ALK+ ALCL-derived exosomes and acquire a cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) phenotype.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Context: Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common condition in elderly men causing a severe worsening of quality of life, and a significant cost for both patients and health systems.

Objective: To report a practical, evidence-based, guideline on definitions, pathophysiology, diagnostic workup, and treatment options for men with different forms of UI.

Evidence Acquisition: A comprehensive literature search, limited to studies representing high levels of evidence and published in the English language, was performed.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF